Carrigaline teenager was victim of frenzied attack by large group of young people 

A Carrigaline teenager was knocked unconscious when he was the victim of a frenzied attack by a large group of young people who punched and kicked him more than 100 times in little more than a minute, a court heard yesterday.

Judge Helen Boyle said: “This young man was kicked and punched on the ground. It was a completely disproportionate and unwarranted response to a rumour that turned out to be false — and even if it was not false, there was no excuse. You are all lucky this did not end in serious injury or death. It was a cowardly assault. You should all be thoroughly ashamed of your cowardly actions on the night.

“In the second incident, a significant number of young people interfered with gardaí performing their duties. It is shocking the lack of respect shown to members of An Garda Síochána.”

Six young people faced sentencing by Judge Helen Boyle at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday for their part in this violent incident and a follow-up incident half an hour later. They were either given suspended sentences or put on probation bonds.

Sentencing

A 16-year-old who kicked the victim in the face — the particular assault which rendered him unconscious — was put on a two-year bond to abide by all directions of the Probation Service for the next two years. He admitted assault causing harm, two counts of violent disorder, and stealing a baton from the hand of a garda.

A 17-year-old was ordered to remain under the supervision of the Probation Service for 18 months for violent disorder at Owenbue car park and escaping from a garda car while handcuffed. This youth, who was 15 at the time, presented himself at Togher Garda Station later that night with his handcuffs still on him.

Jordan Deasy, aged 19, of 41 Ravensdale, Herons Wood, Carrigaline, Co Cork, admitted assault causing harm and engaging in a violent disorder at Carrigaline Community Park. He punched the victim in the face twice. Prior to his intervention, the injured party was on his feet. He kicked his head and upper body five or six times. He was given a two-year suspended sentence.

Jay Condon, aged 19, with an address at Drake’s Point, Crosshaven, Co Cork, was, the judge said, the most violent in the community park incident, kicking the victim 20 times when he was on the ground, pushing others out of the way to get a clear line of attack on the prone victim, but he also called eventually for the attack to stop, saying of the injured party: “he is f***ed up”. Judge Boyle further noted he was shouting: “Carrigaline on top” during the second incident, and the judge said another aggravating factor in his case was posting video footage of the incidents online. He also received a two-year suspended sentence for engaging in violent disorder during both incidents and assisting an arrested person to escape from custody.

Adam MacIlwaine, aged 20, of Kingswood, Waterpark, Carrigaline, admitted violent disorder and assault causing harm in the community park. Judge Boyle noted that he kicked the victim when he was on the ground, and once or twice in the head, and posted footage of the incident online, which showed no respect for the victim. He also obstructed another youth’s arrest in the second incident, and again recorded this. An 18-month suspended sentence was imposed on him.

Ryan McCarthy, aged 20, from Clevedon, Lower Kilmoney Rd, Carrigaline, admitted enabling another person to escape from custody in the garda car during the second incident. He was not involved in the first incident at the community park. When others called gardaí rats, he was heard saying: “Don’t call them rats”. He was given a 12-month suspended sentence.

Rumour 

Sergeant Leonard O’Sullivan said that the reason for the attack was that the main instigator — previously before the court — got the others to believe a completely untrue rumour that the victim had attacked a young girl. Both incidents occurred on December 18, 2021.

The victim did not make a victim impact statement, but there was an extensive investigation when he was found unconscious in the community park. Judge Boyle said the attack, which involved teenagers turning on one of their own based on a completely false claim was, in effect, a pile-on, where many people surround the victim and punched and kicked him repeatedly.